Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Zealous Christian

PSALM 119:4-5 – You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

THEME OF THE DAY. THE ZEALOUS CHRISTIAN. The Christian life is challenging. Every Christian who longs to live pleasing to the Lord and leave a mark in their generation for Him in their families, communities, vocations, and churches is keenly aware of the spiritual challenges to do so. Allow me to just list off three.

First, the challenge in the midst of lives that are full and busy to maintain faithfulness to be in God’s Word and prayer alone, and with other Christians. Life is demanding with all its responsibilities and distractions. Perhaps one of the devil’s greatest and most effective tactics to keep Christians from God’s Word and prayer is busyness.

Another challenge in the Christian life is the battle of the flesh. We get tired. We get weary. And when exhaustion and fatigue come upon us, the first things which always gets laid aside are spiritual things – neglect of the Word, prayer, even absenteeism from church. This battle against the flesh is constant and will know no reprieve this side of heaven.

A third challenge in the Christian life and the one taking us into today’s theme is the loss of first love for the Lord Jesus. He indicts the Ephesus church for this sin – “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:1-5). And when it comes to this sin of lost first love for the Lord Jesus, it may be defined by one word and one phrase – backslidden and lacking zeal.

In today’s scripture, the Psalmist wrote of God’s attitude toward our obedience – “You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently.” The only healthy Christian is a zealous Christian; one who is passionate, energetic, and aggressive in obeying God’s Word. Not out of duty or obligation, though both are true, but out of love. And where love for anyone or anything grips us, we will be zealous in pursuing the relationship or whatever else has our heart’s passion. But when it comes to zeal for obeying God, nothing should get more of our passion and effort. He is worthy of our zealous obedience and demands it.

So when it comes to overcoming the challenge to not become backslidden and lack zeal for obeying God, here are three things to keep before us in our thinking and living which will help us. Remember who God is. Think about it. We are obeying God; our Creator, our Redeemer. Nothing is more important and more of a privilege. Next, remember the Day of Judgment. We are going to give a detailed account of our obedience. That is a strong Biblical motivator. Should we lack zeal, become backslidden and just go through the motions of being a Christian without passion, it will cost us at Judgment. We will lose rewards. Finally, remember why we are Christians. God saved us to obey Him for in our obedience, zealous obedience, we prove our love for Him.

Zealous Christians. These are the ones pleasing to the Lord. May He help us see that diligent obedience is our privilege and responsibility and then may we lean upon Him to help us glorify Him by being so.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see that to be zealous for You in obeying You defines true Christianity.”

QUOTE: “Zeal is not for the ‘super’ Christian but all Christians. Lack of zeal is a sin just like breaking known commands.”